Tuesday, February 5, 2013

A HUGE thank you to Mia Hoddell AND Lori Knowles of "The Book Knoll" Blog; they both nominated me for the Liebster Blog Award, and so I will go forward doing somethings twice and others once. :-)

So I can accept and participate there are steps I need to take.
1. Tell 11 things about yourself.
2. Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
3. Post 11 questions for those who will be nominated by you.
4. Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
5. Get in contact with those 11 bloggers in order to inform them that you nominated them.

Eleven Things About Me:
1. I have a hard time watching a movie without popcorn involved. I think I'm a little addicted to both.
2. My husband and I planned on only having four children. God surprised us with a fifth--we are so glad.
3. I cry like a baby at the end of both Meet the Robinsons and Toy Story 3.
4. I think pink is the perfect color.
5. I have lived in both Ukraine and Belarus, and had the wonderful privilege of visiting Russia.
6. My dream vacation would include my husband, Scotland, England, Ireland, and two uninterrupted weeks (maybe three).
7. I love to bake and find it as a way to unwind.
8. I'm a bit of a neat freak and can't really relax until things are in order (drives my husband crazy).
9. I think raw tomatoes are perhaps the grossest thing out there, but I love ketchup and salsa.
10. I collect perfumes and can't leave the house without some on me (even to buy milk).
11. My husband asked me to marry him three times--in the same night--it's a long story.

Eleven Questions from Mia Hoddell:1. What's your favourite thing about writing/reviewing? Letting my creative juices flow. I love creating my characters and seeing where they will take my stories. It's quite amazing.2. If you could be any supernatural creature what would you be and why? I don't know if this counts, but I love the gigantic eagles in The Lord of The Ring and The Hobbit. They're awesome; wouldn't mind being one.3. Favourite leading male in a book? My first instinct is Marek Jamison from my book The Scent of a Soul, but I'll branch out and say John Thornton from North & South by Elizabeth Gaskell. :-)4. Do you like it when your favourite books are made into movies? Yes, especially if they do a good job.5. Favorite genre? Clean romance.6. Paperback books or kindle ebooks? Since I don't own a Kindle, I'll go with paperback. :-)7. Favourite food? I unabashedly love Mexican food, especially my mother's Sonoran style enchiladas.8. Favourite author? Margaret Mitchell.9. What is the most books you've read in a week? Sad as it sounds, just three, and only the other week when I was sick in bed for three days.10. What super power would you want and what would you do with it? The ability to heal. It goes without saying what I would do with it. :-)11. Favourite season? Autumn, when the leaves turn, the air chills, and people start using their fireplaces.

Eleven Questions from Lori Knowles:1. Why did you start blogging? My friend, and self-publishing coach, said it was vital if I wanted people to learn about my book. She was right, and now I love blogging.2. What is your favorite book of all time and why?Gone With the Wind. Scarlett O'Hara made my mouth drop open in awe every time I saw the movie as a child. Don't get me wrong, she could be witchy, but she got it done.3. What format do you read? ebook, print, audio? Lol. No Kindle, so I paperback it. Although, I tried Eragon in audio once but had to stop because I hated the voice they'd picked for the dragon Saphira so much.4. What book effected your life the most? This has to be a double: The Bible & The Book of Mormon.5. Where are you from? Sierra Vista, Arizona.6. Where would you live if you could live anywhere? I love where I'm at. :-)7. Who is your favorite author and why? Margaret Mitchell, because she wrote Gone With the Wind. :-)8. What do you look for when choosing a book? It has to hold my attention, I have to care about the characters, I strongly prefer a happy ending, and it must be at least PG-13 or milder in both language and romantic scenes.9. How much time do you dedicate to reading and writing? With five children...not nearly as much as I would like. :-) But, my husband and I are working on mapping out more time for my writing. He gives me at least one full Saturday a month without interruptions, and I'm going to start taking at least a couple of nights a week.10. Any goals for 2013? Absolutely! Finish my second novel, The Sound of a Silent Heart. :-)11. What is your favorite book cover and why? Okay, once again, sorry if this sounds completely lame, but I have to say mine for The Scent of a Soul. Simply because of all the time, toil, and sweat my sister-in-law, Julie (my cover designer), and I spent on it. It was truly a labor of love. M.R. Merrick's covers are pretty fascinating, though.

Eleven Questions For My Nominees:1. If you could assume the role of any female heroine who would it be and from what book?
2. Assuming you were single, what male protagonist would you go for, from which book?
3. Would you prefer a months worth of free writing/reading time or $1000?
4. What scares you the most (excluding death, or losing someone you love)?
5. What do you do to unwind?
6. Have you ever received good advice that stuck with you and you followed? What was it?
7. Who is your best friend and what do you love most about him/her?
8. If you could be a world famous actor or author which would it be?
9. What's your favorite sweet treat?
10. Do you prefer books that make you think, make you cry, or make you laugh?
11. If you could invite someone famous to dinner (past or present), who would it be? (Added bonus: What would you serve?) :-)

Thanks for the visit!

About Me

I have been happily married to my husband for fifteen years. We met at Brigham Young University on a blind date, and, at first, I was sure he wasn't for me, but now I cannot imagine my life without him. My life is busy, but I try to keep it as simple as possible, focusing on what matters most to me---home and family. I love to read, cook, spend time with my family, and now I can add writing to that list---it is my creative outlet; we all need one.